This is my blog. So far most of the entries are about sports. Please check out my autism site at www.coachmike.net and my photography site at www.mikefrandsen.net. Please also see my sports articles at http://www.examiner.com/sports-in-washington-dc/mike-frandsen and http://bleacherreport.com/users/583899-mike-frandsen, my autism articles at http://www.examiner.com/dc-in-national/mike-frandsen, and www.myredskinsblog.com. By Mike Frandsen.

Mason was one of at least nine children with autism in the U.S. who died after wandering in 2010, all from drowning. So far in 2011, three children with autism in the U.S. have drowned after wandering. On March 30, a child with autism in Victoria, Australia died after being struck by a train. On April 3, a child with autism in Quebec, Canada went missing after wandering and has not been found.

In the eight months since her son Mason’s death, Sheila Medlam has been raising awareness of autism wandering. She has established the Mason Allen Medlam Foundation for Autism Safety and collected more than 100,000 signatures to propose a “Mason Alert” program. The Mason Alert would consist of an alert that would be triggered when a child with autism goes missing, and a registry of children with autism and other disabilities at risk for wandering.

In 2010, at least nine children with autism died in the U.S. after wandering, all of them by drowning. Already in 2011, at least three children with autism have drowned in the U.S. after wandering. On March 30, a child with autism in Victoria, Australia died after being struck by a train. He wandered from home. On April 3, a child with autism in Quebec, Canada went missing after wandering and has not been found. The search has focused on a river.

In an interview with Examiner.com, Medlam talked about the life of her son Mason, the joy he brought her and her family, his tragic death, and efforts to raise awareness to prevent future wandering fatalities.

Why is a Washington, D.C. sports radio station airing Orioles games? This view of Camden Yards is from I-95, headed to D.C. Photo by Mike Frandsen.

Should a Washington, D.C. sportsradio station broadcast Baltimore Orioles games? WTEM ESPN 980 does – they have the contract for two seasons. I find it strange because the Orioles tried to prevent Washington from getting a team for so many years. ESPN 980 doesn’t talk much about the Nats except when they have their beat reporter on. They talk even less about the O’s, which is appropriate, but then it seems strange to air the games and never talk about the O’s. I guess my problem is with all the Washingtonians who are O’s fans. Why not be loyal to your hometown team? I interviewed the station’s Program Director, Chuck Sapienza about ESPN 980’s decision to air O’s games. Here’s the interview on Examiner.com.

Many people with autism have extremely limited verbal skills or no speech whatsoever. It has long been assumed by the general public, and even by many parents, educators, and caretakers that scant speech equals low intelligence.

In Wretches and Jabberers, the movie’s protagonists dispel this myth. The two men and the four friends they visit show the world that they are in fact exceedingly intelligent, eloquent in their writings, and charmingly funny. Like Helen Keller before them, the “wretches” in the movie are pioneers, blazing trails for others to follow. The message of the movie is to show the world that there are others like them who are vastly underestimated and whose potential is untapped. It is a message of hope.

The film follows Tracy Thresher, 42, and Larry Bissonnette, 52, both from Vermont, as they travel to Sri Lanka, Japan, and Finland to visit friends during their globetrotting tour who, like them, type independently to communicate.

The soundtrack was written by J. Ralph, with songs performed by a star-studded group of artists including Judy Collins, Ben Harper, Scarlett Johansson, Nic Jones, Norah Jones, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, and Bob Weir.

Click here to read the rest of my Wretches and Jabberers article on Examiner.com.